By Rhonda Massad
www.thesuburban.com
There are 5,000 public ash trees in the Laval area not including the private inventory of trees that are at risk due to the Emerald Ash Borer insect (EAB). In 2012, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of EAB in the city.
According to media spokesperson for the city of Laval, Annie Thibodeau, the city has no plans to plant any new trees at this time as none have been felled to date.
She also explained, in an e-mail exchange with The Suburban, that as a preventive measure, 270 trees were treated with the bio-insecticide TreeAzin, ACE-CAP systemic tree implants and kairomone lures have been installed.
At this time there is no known cure for an infected tree but the inoculation, TreeAzin, is available for trees surrounding an infected tree. The treatment is injected straight into the tree bark rendering the toxic pesticide safe as it is contained within the bark. The process must be administered professionally and can cost up to $250 per tree per year.
Some typical signs that an Ash tree is infected with EAB is an increase in woodpecker activity, the tree canopy begins to die back in the upper third portion of the canopy and bark splitting.
The public can help control the spread of EAB by not moving potentially infested materials such as all species of firewood or any ash materials such as logs, branches, nursery stock, chips or other ash wood.
If you suspect the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer, contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency by calling 1-866-463-6017 or the City of Laval by dialing 3-1-1.
